The present invention relates to a lifting device for lifting a load. Primarily, the lifting device is intended for lifting and/or moving a patient confined to bed between two places.
Such lifting devices, often referred to as patient lifters, are previously known for facilitating the work of the medical staff in hospitals and similar institutions for lifting and moving patients having reduced faculty of motion or being confined to their beds for other reasons. Prior art lifting devices are ofter bulky and difficult to handle and require for handling often more than one person. Moreover, prior art lifting devices generally are mounted on the floor or a wall and so valuable space is lost in the room where the lifting device is accomodated.
There are previously known patient lifters attached to the ceiling of a room, such lifters including a rigid carrier bar to be placed along and over a person to be lifted. The bar is supported at its both ends by two cables which over pulleys in the ceiling are connected to a telfer having two cable exits. A device for receiving and supporting a patient can be attached to the carrier bar. This type of lifting device only allows vertical movement. Therefore, when moving a patient from e.g. a stretcher to a bed, first the patient has to be lifted from the stretcher which then has to be removed whereupon the bed is brought in under the patient which is then lowered down onto the bed.
The Swedish laid-open specification 7508892-2 discloses a patient lifter including a carrier bar supported by a lever which is pivotably supported by a horizontal shaft. The carrier bar is movable in its lateral direction by rotation of said shaft. This patient lifter can be handled by one operator and allows movement of a patient between two support surfaces, e.g. a stretcher and a bed, without intermediate movement of said support surfaces. However, this patient lifter occupies a relatively large floor area.